Joy of Travel - Answers (#1 and #2)

From Amy:
"With less than $5k apiece,
we are going to Thailand to work on the
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project for Habitat for Humanity.
If Scott's work allowed, I suppose we could spend the rest of the $5k
to stay there a bit longer and site see.

With a bit less than $500, we went to MN over Labor Day,
saw an awesome "Bodies" exhibit,
went to Como Park Conservatory,
shopped and visited friends.

$50 and a full tank of gas and some maps,
I'd still like to see the Lincoln Library in Springfield".

From Lisa:
"$5,000 - I'd hit the gathering in Scotland
and retrace the steps of all those Lockhearts, Morrisons and Maitlands
who left home for the new hope of America.
I'd still have money for beer and scotch with that budget!

$500? Well, that's easy. Santa Fe is nice, I hear.

$50? Reexploring Highway 20,
or Highway 52 North to Decorah,
where all the autumn leaves will be blazing - that would be WAY cool.

Hmm. There are some wineries up north..."

Joy of Travel

Imagine
if you had $5000
to spend on a spur-of-the-moment
vacation...
Where would you go?
What would you do?
How long would you stay?

What about $500?

What about $50, 2-3 days,
a full tank of gas, and a couple of maps...

Imagine it,
and tell me about YOUR
travellers joy.

M

Zozobra #2

Old Man Gloom
burned last night...









Feel better now?

Zozobra #1

The fire?
Manana!
(Tomorrow!)

Gloom & Doom

Gloomy thoughts?
Doom-y dreams?
Pissed-off prose?
Grumpy greetings?
Sad and bad memories?
Funky food?
Moldy musings?
Negative nodding?
Reckless rants?

If you feel the need to
lighten this load...
Please send your gloomy thoughts to me,
and I will happily add them to
Zozobra's stuffing.

Notes and drawings
will be accepted up until the morning of
this Wednesday, September 9th.



And by the 10th of September:

Like a pine tree
releasing tired things;
shedding dead needles and
old pine cones
at the end of summer...
Hoping for growth
of stronger and better life.

All gloomy thoughts
will become smoke and ashes.

M

New Job

My husband is a male model.

Worry Harvest

Every year in Santa Fe
a large flammable puppet
(around 40' tall)
representing "Old Man Gloom"
is build and brought
to a local park.

The puppet ("Zozobra"), is filled and stuffed with contributions
of frightening drawings
and worries
and gloomy thoughts
and dark ideas
and sad memories
and anything bad
that is needed to be rid of.

On Thursday, September 10th
following a fun-filled and rowdy day
of dance and music and general merry-making
just around sunset...
Old Man Gloom
is burned,
and along with his image;
all of the gloomy thoughts
are removed from those lives
they were troubling.

If you wish to contribute;
I will be delivering
any and all gloomy thoughts
that need to be erased.

I'll be dropping off a collection of
"burnable-stuffing"
on Wednesday, September 9th.

For a more complete history
check this site at:
ZOZOBRA

Tomato & Gorgonzola

First Harvest

First Tomato

I started a tiny garden
(from seed packets!)
back in mid March;
planted tiny individual seed-starter pots
placed the trays in the sun of two indoor window boxes
carefully sprinkled drops-of-water-at-a-time
on almost a daily basis,
moved the trays outside in late May,
and nursed the little plants into the ground in June.
Watering once to twice-a-day since then...
And now
first
tomato
on my kitchen windowsill.

Waiting for other tomatoes
and peppers
and two types of lettuce
to join the harvest.

Maybe...
If I bring the plants
back
inside
(because it is getting cool at night)
put the plants in sunny
indoor window boxes...

Maybe...
October;
we will have a harvest.

We slice into the
first
tomato
tomorrow.

We Still Have...

Magic
Laughs
Joy
Hope
Inspiration
Great clouds
Silliness
Puns
Roasted Hatch Green Chile
Glorious Weather
Water in the Santa Fe River
Did I mention the great views - in all directions?




And yes,
We Still Have Magic.

Care to join us?
The Howlin' Dog Bunkhouse
has a few autumn and several winter reservations available.
We love to share the magic that IS
SANTA FE.

Cleaning the Porch - With Help...

Yesterday
was "let's clean the porch day".
I spent the day
hauling everything off our porch,
(2 bikes, 2-3 boxes of tools,
art supplies, art easels, paint cleaning supplies,
litter box, bike supplies, cat supplies, hiking supplies,
car supplies, 2 very large suitcases filled with "stuff",
shinkendo equipment, watercolor supplies,
camping equipment, gardening equipment,
"Obama for President" sign, lawn chairs,
clip lights, flashlights, light bulbs, extension cords,
2 of the 3 shelves,
... And on and on)

As as I was making my third or fourth trip from inside
to outside with arms-full of stuff,
I had a sweet friend
stop by to help.









Bob the cat
whose real name is "Edghar the Great" -
at least that is the name
engraved on the tag
of his new harness.
He was not a huge help,
but his "mom"/owner was amused ,
when I called her,
that he would come back to visit
that mean lady who had thrown him in a carrier
and hauled him off to the Humane Society
for a week-long adventure.

He stopped by again today
but he decided he would not help me this time:
Bob/Edghar does NOT do windows.

M

Luck In My Eyes

Beautiful day yesterday
(after visiting the doctor
and the pharmacist,
and spending $45
between the two...
Good health insurance
was a relief).

I had my car windows down
and was singing,
(probably badly;
by the other drivers' estimations)
this K.d. Lang song:





I can feel a mountain rain
that'll wash away and shine again
empty my pockets
that were weighing me down
sift through my soul
to see what's lost and found
gonna walk away from trouble
with my head held high
then look closely
you'll see luck in my eyes

All my troubles, all my troubles,
gone
with luck in my eyes
all my worries all my worries,
gone

I can hear a howling wind
that sweeps away the pain that's been
take all my sorrow
and I'll cast away
the worries tomorrow
that I had today
gonna walk away from trouble
with my head held high
then look closely
you'll see luck in my eyes

All my troubles, all my troubles,
gone
with luck in my eyes
all my worries all my worries,
gone

K.d. Lang "Luck In My Eyes" lyrics